Naive Cendrillon
by Aliexandrie
Summary: i'm so confused . how can something so wrong feel so right ? how can I dodge my father's wrath and be with the one I love at the same time ? is it a sin or a blessing ? - cinderella with a twist .


_Author's Note:  
I don't own Cinderella. I don't think anyone does.  
Origionally a L.A. assignment that i ended up falling in love with.  
Thanks Mrs. Canning. xD_

**Naive Cendrillon**

I never expected love to be so complicated. People always talk about how wonderful it was when they first fell in love and how simple it all was. When you found love, that was that. I believed it all for a while, the stories that the person you were destined to be with would fall out of the sky and into your arms and you would live happily ever after.I never guessed that there would be so many rules; a commoner and a prince don't go together and boys don't fall in love with other boys. It sounds easy enough to follow, right? One would think so. Who would have thought that when people referred to it as 'the game called love', they were not joking? It was just that, a game with pawns and rules and dice and, it was a damn hard game too.

My story begins last spring; I was out picking wildflowers for the kitchen table when I managed to get myself lost again. It was a reoccurring event; I had lived on the property for over ten years and I still couldn't find my way around its miles of trees and underbrush. I didn't mind getting lost, because I always found my way back home and it gave me an excuse to be outside longer. My father never questioned me about that; "Stupid boy." He would tut before turning and stomping off in the other direction to go about his courtly business. It only fed his notion that I was a failure.

Happily lost and clueless, I was crouched among the vibrantly colored buttercups when a familiar noise reached my ears. It was a rhythmic pounding, the stomping of horse hooves. My only question at this point was who could possibly be roaming through my father's woods? We weren't expecting any company. Leaving my flowers in the dirt, I stood and slipped from underneath the low draping boughs of the pine tree to catch a glance of our visitor. The hooves were getting closer, plodding at a leisurely pace through the overgrown shrubs towards me. I could just barely see the head of the burly beast whose hooves stomped so loudly when a sudden fear crashed over me, making me stumble behind the tree I had just been underneath. I'm not quite sure what sparked such fear; perhaps it was the threat of who was on that horse, because it could have been anyone, a thief, a murderer, an escaped convict. I wouldn't know until I saw him. Wide-eyed, I watched the thick head of the horse move closer still, the certain anxiety in my gut growing. It seemed to take the beast way too long to emerge fully into view, but when it did, I knew it was well worth the wait.

In front of me was the most gorgeous, exotic, breathtaking creature I had ever seen, and I'm not talking about the horse. Perched so comfortably and confidently on the horses back sat a boy. I had never seen him before, therefore I couldn't have possibly imagined who he truly was, but oh how I wished to find out. To this day I am convinced that he is an angel, sent down from heaven to do the great Lord's bidding. He looked tall, though it was hard to tell while he was sitting. His hair was long, just barely touching his broad shoulders, and a rich black that looked so silky, I truly believed it to be made of the soft textile. His clothes looked expensive and clean, pressing neatly to his lithe form, not wrinkling even as the horse bounced him up and down, and his boots were spotless, shimmering darkly in the afternoon sun and winking at me. However impressive all of this was, it was nothing compared to his face. His eyes were a brilliant blue, more of a bright violet really. His face was soft and round like that of a cherub; His skin was pale and it looked like the surface of an untouched lake, smooth and calm and yet giving off a commanding air that must be obeyed. His lips were full and formed in a permanent pout that could melt any heart on the spot. I had never seen anything quite like him.

As I watched the male approach, riding high on his horse and moving at his slow, leisurely pace, my heart was doing great cartwheels in my chest. I felt as if, if I were to open my mouth, my heart would jump right out of my throat. I wanted to run out to him and at the same time I was terrified of him. I didn't even realize the sweat prickling on my palms and the back of my neck as I gazed up at the stranger in awe. I wanted to vomit and laugh at the same time. I was confused and yet I had never been so sure of anything before in my life. Just as soon as it had started, it was all over; He had passed and vanished through the bushes without even a glance at my tree. Even the back of his head was exquisite.

I have always been a naive boy, and everyone knew it. That is why as I walked slowly back to my father's mansion, I blamed the turmoil in my insides on a bad mushroom in an instant. How was I to know it was love? I didn't know anything about love. I had never felt it before and silly little me just thought that the thrilling and horrifying teeming in my gut was a bit of food poisoning. I had no idea that with just that little glimpse I was bonded with the male forever. Shame on those who don't believe in love at first sight. I just didn't know what it was yet.

My wise feet led me soundlessly back home at their own comfortable pace while my mind wandered to another time, and another place. It was only after I walked through the back door of the large house that I realized that I had left my bouquet back under the pine tree. Oh well. Dad didn't give a damn if he had flowers on his table or not and he most definitely wouldn't notice. Speak of the devil, just as I was walking out of the kitchen, who was there to greet me but my loving father. "Where have you been?" He reminded me incredibly of a snarling dog with the way a fire lit in his angry eyes and his voice rumbled from his throat threateningly. "I got lost while picking flowers for the kitchen." My reply was quiet and timid, my face completely innocent and obedient as I looked up at my father. I attempted a warm smile, just in case that would fend off his anger, but it wasn't enough. "Where are the flowers?" My face felt both ice cold and boiling hot at the same time as it either blanched or flushed once the question was posed. "I-I… I accidentally l-left them behind, Father." I could tell he was furious now. "You're a goddamned liar, Samuel. How dare you lie to your own father? The man who raised you, fed you, housed you, and clothed you?" He was ranting again, but I was lucky, at least for the moment, that he had decided not to get violent.

My mom had passed away when I was six and that was when my father and I had moved here. At first, things had been great; I had an enormous backyard, a nice bedroom, nice neighbors, and it wasn't too long of a walk to town; everything had seemed wonderful. I had noticed, however, a difference in my father's attitude, demeanor, and his mood. He became quiet, and distant. He rarely talked to me; a brief hello in the morning before he went to work, a short good night when he arrived home and the occasional quickened chat about groceries being the only conversions that passed between us. It was unnerving; he had obviously been effected by my mother's death (I had too, of course!), and I didn't know how to talk to him about it; I never had a chance to, either. We had lived in the house for about a month when things started changing again. He would rarely look at me, and the greetings had ceased to come from his lips; He began to act like I was no longer there. One day, when I returned from a run to the bakery, it was to find that my room had been emptied and refilled with boxes of paper and books. I was horrified; what had happened to all of my things? When I ran to question him about the junk in my room, he grunted that I was to sleep down stairs now, because he needed the room for his work. I would have cried if I hadn't been so angry. It was only when I found my new room that I realized what my father had done. He had moved me to the servants' quarters, a very large room underneath the kitchen where the help stayed. In a silent, distant way, he had disowned me. It didn't take too long to realize it after that. He would leave a list of chores for me each morning, just like the rest of the help, and that was it. That was all I was to him anymore, some kid he used to do the dirty work around the house, one of the help, but I was still different from the rest; I'm still unsure if it was a good or a bad thing. The only time he acknowledged me was when I did something wrong, when I was bad or disobedient. He never treated any of the other with such blind fury, he never did anything but lecture them; I was different. I suppose it was because I used to be his son that he treated me the way he did, or maybe it was my resemblance to my mother that haunted him so and caused his resentment. Either way, I found myself purposefully slacking off, just to get the attention of my father, even if it caused so many bruises and aching bones. I was desperate for him to recognize me as his son again, I **needed** him to, but he never did. It was the same, day after day, dirty floor after filthy dishes. I suppose I grew used to it, over time, and eventually, I went back to doing my chores whole heartedly. I still messed up every once and a while and got my punishment, but it was no longer a regular, daily event. I got used to it.

It was a long two weeks before I saw _him_ again, the boy that haunted my dreams, the angelic being I had glimpsed in the forest that fateful day. I was at the market, getting meat and cheese for supper when my heart floated away from me again. While I gathered my basket of groceries in my arms, a sudden shiver ran down my spine and goose bumps broke out over my pale skin. I blamed it on the wind, until I turned around, and I swear my heart stopped. He was standing, tall and straight, his posture that of which etiquette instructors can only dream about, his hair dancing lightly in the warm breeze and a swoon worthy smile on his striking face. It's a wonder I didn't pass out from lack of air; it was only when I started breathing again that I realized I had been holding my breathe in the first place. I was paralyzed as I stared at the male, my heart thumping wildly again my ribcage, my entire body tingling with an odd sensation of thrill. He was just as lovely the second time, everything about him just as I remembered the same face that had been burned into my mind for the last two weeks. I had only been watching him for thirty seconds, and yet it felt like a life time; each move of his smooth lips, each wave of a delicate hand or smile that graced his face made me feel so alive. All I wanted to do was to talk to him, say hello, see those eyes clearly, hear that melodic voice that so permeated my senses. My left foot hadn't moved less than an inch forward when all too suddenly, he vanished, sliding into the carriage and quickly riding off, towards the outskirts of town. I had lost my chance, but I didn't care. I had gotten to see him again, and that was good enough.

Over the next month, I couldn't get the stranger out of my mind. He was like a permanent fixture, melded into my irises for just me to see whenever I had a free moment. All I could think about was getting to see him again, and maybe even getting to talk to him, if just to say hello. I had never felt such thrill from someone before, and I hadn't even talked to him yet! It was silly and I knew it, but I couldn't help but to think about what I would say should we chance a meeting. I would've hated to make a fool of myself, but then again, I didn't want to seem too uptight either. If I thought about it too hard, I would get incredibly nervous and jittery until I forced myself to think of something else. As time rolled on and I continued to search everywhere I went without success, my hope began to dwindle. It was highly likely that he had just been visiting and really lived thousands of miles away where he would never see him again. The though make me distraught; I didn't even know his name!

It was just after I had decided to try and forget my secret obsession that I ended up running into him. Isn't it funny, how those things work out? Fate, I think it's called, something that I had never really thought about before then.

The day was sunny, summer smiling down on me with its fiery rays as I plodded down the long road towards the lake just outside of my father's property. It was a public lake, but no one really knew about it, therefore, no one went. It was like my own secret oasis where I could go and just relax. When I reached the edge of the lake, I sprawled out on the vibrant grass and allowed my mind to drift away as I watched the clouds float by overhead. I was so far gone that I didn't hear the hoof beats approaching from the woods behind me; in fact, I didn't realize that anyone was around until a lean shadow fell over me. I nearly jumped out of my skin, letting out a small 'eep' of surprise and scrambling to my feet. As I turned to see who the shadow was, ready to tell them off for startling me, the words froze on the tip of my tongue. What were the chances? My heart leapt into my throat, filling the space that my lost words had left and cutting off my oxygen intake for just a moment until the initial shock subsided. "My apologizes; I didn't mean to startle you." As the other spoke, it took all the restraint I had not to look over my shoulder behind me, just in case there was someone else he was talking to. Surely he wasn't talking to me, but there was no doubt where those violet eyes were resting, directly on my flushed face. He **was** talking to me! I could have fainted. It took me far too long to regain my voice, only increasing my embarrassment when I finally did speak. "N-n-no. Ah... You didn't scare me." I stumbled over the words idiotically, but he didn't laugh, only smiling and shrugging his lovely shoulders up to his ears. "Good..." He stood for a moment in silence as he scrutinized me, making my blush darken ever so slightly so my cheeks resembled the color of a rose. "Allow me to introduce myself; I'm Prince Gabriel de Croÿ and it is a pleasure running into you this fine day." Gabriel smiled warmly, nodding slightly at me as if indicating that it was my turn. Before I had a chance to register the information that was fed to me, I was introducing myself as well. "I'm Samuel... Er… Samuel Cendrillon. It's a pleasure to meet you, your majesty." The fact that the male in front of me was a prince suddenly hit home and I bowed slightly, awkwardly before looking back up into those entrancing eyes. Gabriel… The name of the archangel; how fitting it was. A minute past before I realized I was staring at him and I stumbled around for something intelligent to say. "Would… you like to go swimming?" I wasn't thinking that he was a prince and I was merely a disowned child turned servant and I was most definitely out of place, asking such a question, but I didn't care; He accepted anyway.

Hours later, after swimming and sunbathing and never ending talk, I was finally on my way back home. He, Prince Gabriel, had invited me to his ball tomorrow night. I had never been happier; my heart was fluttering wildly and the smile never left my face, even as I entered the house. I hadn't expected to find my father waiting for me, or the ire on his face. Unnerved, I glanced up into the male's murderous eyes fearfully, forcing a weak smile on my stiff face. "Hello, father." My words only seemed to upset him further; a fist was raised but never brought down as I cringed away timidly, knowing at once that I had said something wrong. "I told you to never call me that. You're not my son." The other growled menacingly, still glaring down at me. "You're not going." I blinked in confusion at my father's words, tilting my head slightly like a dog questioning its master. "What?" I had no idea what he was talking about. "You're not going to the ball." My father's voice was shaking as he spoke, most likely in anger at me, or at life in general, and it was starting to scare me. How did he know? Had he followed me? Had someone else told him? But who else knew? My mind was reeling, but the only thing that came from my mouth was, "Why?" His anger flared and it was then that I decided to keep my mouth shut until he calmed down, not wanting to provoke any unnecessary tension. "Why? Why?! Because it's disgusting!" I blinked and stared at him, feeling more confused and venerable than I had ever been before. "…Wh-what?" Why was it disgusting? What was wrong with Gabriel inviting me to the ball? "I said it's disgusting! You're a boy and so is he. How can you not see anything wrong with that?" What was he saying? That two boys weren't supposed to be together? Why? What made it any different than a boy and a girl? I was close to tears now, but I couldn't do anything except stare up into my fathers furious face in despair. "You're worse than I thought, boy. You disgust me. The bible clearly says that homosexual relationships are sinful. You're going to hell." My father growled, his beady eyes narrowing fiercely as he spit out the words. I was going to hell? _I _was going to hell? I couldn't believe my own father had just said that. Did the bible say anything about fathers beating their sons? I could feel my fear and sorrow quickly flare into anger, though I didn't act on it. I would have just been in deeper trouble. "You better get out of my sight before I put your head through the wall." Knowing that the statement was a promise and not a threat and wanting to get away from him anyway, I scurried past my dear old dad and headed for my room. I was still so confused and angry; I hadn't known it was such a big deal, the whole gender thing. Why would it be a problem? It didn't bother me and obviously it didn't bother Gabriel, so what was wrong? This was terrible. I couldn't not go, it was be so rude and besides, I really wanted to go. For the prince to invite you personally to his ball was a great honor, even I knew that. I had to go; I just had to figure out a way around my father. It was stupid and daring and I would most definitely get caught, but I found that I didn't care. All I wanted was to see Gabriel again, sinful or not, even if it could quite possibly be our last meeting. Somehow or another, I was going to that ball and nothing could change my mind.

That night, my father came downstairs and pulled me aside, so the others couldn't hear. He gave me a warning that he would be checking up on me, once at seven p.m., before he went to work and when he got home at midnight. If I wasn't there, I was in deep trouble. When I consented to understanding, he left me alone and went to get ready for work. I had to make a plan, and I had to make it fast if I was going to go the next night.

For the next few hours, I thought about it, and when morning rolled around, I had the rough outline of a plan. As soon as my father left for work, I would sneak into his room, borrow his nice and dressy vest and slacks, attend the ball and be back before midnight. All I really had to do was say a quick hello to Gabriel, thank him for inviting me and then I could get back in plenty of time. All day, I was incredibly nervous and jittery, though thankfully, no one seemed to notice. The hours seemed to drag on and yet, before I knew it, I was watching my father crawl into his carriage and ride away, off to work. I stood in silence, watching the coach slowly disappear while my insides fought an epic battle with each other, my brain and heart facing off, confronting each other with conflicting feeling. I knew it was stupid, what I was about to do, and yet, I couldn't help but do it. My numb legs carried me swiftly into my father's room and I carefully pulled the nice clothes I intended to wear out of their confines, laying them out gently on the bed before I dug around for some shoes to wear. I felt incredibly tense and out of place, but I didn't have anything suitable to wear myself, so this was the only option. I quickly dressed and stood in front of the long mirror in the corner for a few minutes, frowning at my slightly distorted reflection. The pants were far too long and they barely stayed on my hips, not to mention the shoes I was practically swimming in. Over all, I supposed I didn't look all that bad. It was just for one night, and anything was better than the rags I had been wearing yesterday. Out of sight of the rest of the house, I snuck out the back door and started my long, brisk walk towards the castle, excitement, fear, nerves and thrill overwhelming me.

It was only a half of an hour until I had come into the large, glorious dance hall of the castle. I had never seen anything quite like it; the ceiling towered above me, the walls were painted gold and outlined in neat little swirls in a sky blue. The floor was shimmering white marble and the beautiful walls were lined with brightly decorated tables full of all kinds of exotic food and beverages. In the corner, besides the brightly lit dance floor sat the instrumental band, made up of at least thirty-five men playing lovely, flowing music. I was so completely enthralled with my surroundings, I hadn't noticed the male standing next to me; obviously, I am a rather inattentive person. "You came." I jumped as that melodic voice floated into my ears and I quickly turned to face my host. "P-prince Gabriel." Once again stumbling on my words, I bowed politely before murmuring a soft, embarrassed apology. The prince studied my clothes, just as he had done the day before, making me squirm slightly as self conscious thoughts flooded my mind. Gabriel just smiled and offered his hand, glancing off towards the dance floor suggestively. "Would you care to dance, Mr. Cendrillion?" I felt heat rush into my cheeks but I nodded, taking that hand gently in my own and following the other towards the rest of the dancers. To my surprise, I was led straight past my fellow party guests and onto the moonlit balcony. I glanced up into the other's eyes, my heart jolting in joy as he took my hands and lead me into a slow waltz; I suppose it was a waltz, but I didn't know having never danced before. I just followed the other's movements, doing my best not to step on his feet and trying not to look down the entire time.

My heart was racing; I could feel it hammering feverishly against my ribcage like a captive bird attempting to escape from its coop. Time seemed to fly by as we danced, unknown to me or Gabriel. My senses were phantasmagorically heightened as I was swept across the floor; I could see everything painted in vivid colors and I could hear every little tap and scrape of our shoes, the loud ticking of the tall grandfather clock just out the door and the shrill chirping of crickets, serenading us into the night. The most drastic of my senses was touch; my nerves were on fire. I could feel the cool wind on my heated cheeks and each little touch of Prince Gabriel's silky fingertips against my own and the texture of his neat cotton shirt. It was all so invigorating. It amazed me that such a simple thing like dancing with some boy I barely knew could make me feel so light and carefree. It was as if all my troubles had been pulled away by the soft music and set out on the warm breeze for someone else to deal with.

In my rapture, I'm sure I looked like a drooling idiot with my eyes wide and dreamy and a stupid smile on my face; I just couldn't help it. As I looked up into those violet eyes I had grown so fond of after only a few sightings, I felt my heart melt and my soul float away. It was then, while I watched the exquisite creature that was the prince smiling in such a kind way, that I realized that my heart was no longer mine. It had abandoned me and ran directly into this boy's arms, and I knew I would never be able to get it back. As another song ended, Prince Gabriel came to a graceful halt and let his arms fall away from my own, those gorgeous eyes locked on mine. Sweat was slowly drying on the back of my neck and my forehead, but I couldn't have cared less; I was so far gone into some carefree wonderland that I didn't even notice. We remained in place for a long time, just the two of us on the deserted dance floor standing in a comfortable silence.

It had been an accident, a quick glance off to the side when I saw it; that large grandfather clock, ticking the minutes by, that was bringing us deeper and deeper into the night, and closer to midnight. When I did catch a glimpse of it, my rapidly beating heart froze, paralyzed in fear at the sight. It was half an hour to midnight; I had to get home fast. When my heart did start up again it was beating just as quickly as it had while dancing, and yet it felt different. It was a terrified, painful speed, more like a victim running for its life away from a mass murderer than anything. The panic must have showed in my eyes as they returned to the prince, the apology was not even formed on my lips before he spoke. "What's wrong?" How sweet, Gabriel was worried about me. Despite my dread, it was heartwarming and I couldn't help but to smile. "I have to go home." I was shocked to hear my voice; it was unsteady and breathless, though whether that was because of dancing or my fear, I was unsure. "So soon?" The Prince wanted me to stay, but I couldn't. I had to be at home, in bed as soon as the minute hand hit the twelve or my father would have my head. "I'm terribly sorry…"

I had just started to pull away when Gabriel reached out to grab my hand, gripping my wrist tightly, his puppy dog eyes still locked on my face. My heart was pounding even faster than before; a feat I hadn't thought was possible. My eyes were in turn on Gabriel, watching him in wide wonderment as he moved closer. A small smile tilted his lips up and my heart beat faster still as if it were trying to leapt out of my chest to get to the male in front of me. I didn't blame it; I wanted to do the same. He was getting closer now, though he was moving much too slow for my liking. Every second counted when you were only twenty-five minutes away from your inevitable death and yet, I couldn't move; I was frozen in place, a living statue, breath caught tightly in my chest as I awaited what I was sure was coming. He was only inches from me now, and I thought that my heart would rip straight out of my chest. Time was moving far too quickly and I really had to go; I was about to open my mouth to say so when suddenly, those luscious lips were upon mine. If it wasn't biologically impossible, I would say that my heart burst with glee. Gabriel's lips were so soft, like rose petals against my own chapped skin. I was melting deeper and deeper into bliss and at the same time, digging my own grave; I just had to let this last, for surely it wouldn't happen again. All too soon, I was pulling away, shocked and out of breath as my body moved of its own accord, tearing across the floor and out of the front doors without so much as a goodbye. In my hurry, not one but both of my overlarge shoes were left behind and I had to run down the gravel road in nothing but torn up socks. My mind was still in a buzz of euphoria; it was a good thing that I had long before memorized my way back home from town or surely, I would have never made it back, lost in my own little dream land as I was.

When I crawled in the back door of the house, it was two minutes to midnight. My lungs were on fire, my legs burned from running and I felt awfully light headed from both fear and lack of oxygen. I tore through the house, throwing my clothes off as I went, which left me in only my undergarments by the time I had reached my father's bedroom. I quickly hung the clothes up as neatly as possible on their little hangers and ran back downstairs to the servants' quarters. I threw myself into bed, curling under the blankets and taking in sharp, deep breaths as I ignored the imploring questions of my roommates. I listened with baited breath as the sound of a carriage neared, afraid to breathe lest I give myself away. Footsteps slowly and calmly descended the stairs and I could hear my father's quite breathing as he made his way to my bed. A single strong hand moved to grip my shoulder briefly and I could feel his eyes on me, making sure that it was actually me in my bed before that hand fell away and I was left to myself. I waited until the footsteps disappeared before letting out a deep sigh of relief, rolling onto my back to smile widely up at the ceiling. I couldn't believe that I had gotten away with it; I had tricked my father, danced with the man of my dreams and even shared a kiss. Imagine that, the prince choosing me, of all the fine guests at his party to kiss. I felt like I could fly.

The next morning everything began to go wrong. I woke up, smiling and cheerful, even more so than usual. I gladly did my chores, mopping the floors, sweeping the rugs, cleaning the dishes, and washing the laundry, without any fuss. I still felt as if I were floating on a cloud, and I wasn't even bothered by my father's sour mood; He was always in a bad mood. I was just sweeping the upstairs hallway when everything started to fall apart. I could hear my father's voice, raised and shrill in anger, screaming at the woman cleaning his room and accusing her of stealing his shoes. My heart sunk to the floor and it was only then that I realized why I had those terrible blisters on my feet; I had left his shoes behind. I felt horrible for letting the poor, innocent maid take the blame, but I had no other choice; my father wasn't going to beat her because she stole them, but I was another story. It was for my own safety. I felt so selfish.

Besides the shoe set back, everything else seemed fine. He hadn't talked to me today, not even looking at me, and it seemed that things were back to normal, and then Gabriel showed up. I thought I was going to throw up as I watched out the window as the male approached, fear striking deep in my gut, panic heating up my cheeks. This was bad; Father would figure everything out and I would be in worse trouble then I could even imagine, but there was nothing I could do about it. I watched helplessly as that gorgeous prince walked up to my front door and knocked, my gut tying itself in knots as I waited to see who would answer; of course, who else but my father. My knees went weak; I was so scared that I was trembling, clinging so tightly to the windowsill that my hands were turning white from the strain. I watched in horror as Gabriel held out the pair of shoes, his smiling lips mumbling words I couldn't hear, no doubt telling the story of last night, ratting me out unintentionally. I was sure that my father would murder me. I watched in building terror as the prince nodded, turning slowly and moving gracefully back towards his coach, looking, dare I say, disappointed. For a brief moment, my heart soared, but the sound of approaching footsteps sent it crashing back down at my feet.

The door of the room I was in crashed open and my father stormed through the doorway in a whirlwind of anger, screaming and raging at me, sending a shoe flying by my head and crashing through the window behind me. He was furious that I had gone against his direct orders, that I had gone to the ball, been with another boy, even if all we did was kiss. I was just a basket of pure sin to him, disgracing him and everyone around him. Once again, I was paralyzed, fear constricting me like a mummy in its wrappings as my wide eyes followed my father's advance. I seemed to shrink while he grew bigger, and a shrill squeal of sheer terror left me. I was so sure it was going to end right then; Just before his wrath came down on me, the door slammed open behind us. I was so confused; all I remember was a pair of thin hands wrapping around my arm and dragging my trembling body from the room. I don't remember my father's reaction or how I got out of the house. The next thing I can recall was sitting in a coach fit for a prince, my trembling hands on my knees, my wide, frightened eyes locked on the boy before me. It was another fifteen minutes after that before I could speak, nearly in tears from both embarrassment and dread as I apologized consistently to Gabriel, hiding my face in my hands. It was still another five minutes until I realized we were moving, driving at a slow pace away from my house and my lunatic father. "… Thank you..." I whispered softly, rubbing my watering eyes as I looked up into the prince's violet pair, my heart slowly starting to calm down from its recent stress and my breath coming back to me. "You saved my life." Gabriel just smiled and shrugged his shoulders modestly. He seemed rather upset himself; his face flushed and bothered his eyes full of worry. "… That was why you had to leave, last night." He muttered, more of a statement than a question, though I nodded anyway in reply. "I'm just glad to get you out of there, Samuel." The concern was so genuine, it almost hurt. It made me want to cry all over again. I didn't know how I would ever be able to thank him, but more importantly, I had no idea where we were going. When I asked, the prince smiled his charming smile and glanced out the window at the approaching palace. "We're going home." With those three words, the entire weight of my problems was lifted off of my shoulders and all I could do was smile back. He had said we, meaning the two of us, living at the castle. I said noting further, fearing that if I questioned it, he would shout 'just kidding' and turn the carriage around. Instead, I settled comfortably back, even taking the chance to rest my head on Gabriel's shoulder as the coach pulled on towards the castle. As my first and only love pressed a soft kiss to the top of my head, I suddenly knew everything was going to turn out perfectly.


End file.
